


I Tried Running Away (But You Didn't Let Me)

by Trixterz



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canonical Character Death, HaleCest, He always has been, I know that not a lot of people care about this ship but I do and this fic is important to me, M/M, Mates, Uncle/Nephew Incest, peter is good, unbetaed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 14:51:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15051557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trixterz/pseuds/Trixterz
Summary: Peter has known that Derek was his mate since he was a child. He tried ignoring it, he tried running away...Yeah, like that's ever worked.





	I Tried Running Away (But You Didn't Let Me)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, a couple of things about this. 
> 
> This has been in my drafts for more than two years. Two. Years. To be honest, I've thought about deleting it so many times but something always stopped me. I like this story, I've always liked it - it didn't feel right to just leave it unfinished or to just delete it like it never happened. 
> 
> Second, Peter is a truly good guy in this story. He wasn't in the fire, he never went insane with his thirst for power. He is good and kind and the pack likes him just fine. This is my world and I control everything in it. 
> 
> And lastly - English is not my native language and even though it keeps getting better and better due to univesrity there will still be mistakes in this. I am one hundred percent sure that this has some mistakes in it. Should you point them out I will gladly fix them. If you'd wish to leave a comment then I would like to ask one thing of you - please be kind. That's all I ask. Thank you.

_Peter was nine when he found out who his mate was._

He remembered not knowing what was happening at first. Trevor had gotten him out of bed in the middle of the night, telling him to get dressed and get into the car. He remembered Laura crying right next to him in her safety seat, the toddler not understanding why her father would interrupt her sleep. He remembered Talia trying to calm her daughter from the front seat between the painful contractions and yelling at Trevor to not run any red lights and that they still had enough time.

When they had arrived at the hospital, Trevor left Peter and Laura with Mrs. Steele – she was the head nurse and a close friend to the Hale pack, before he ran somewhere, probably searching Talia’s room.

‘So, your brother decided to show up earlier, huh?’ Mrs. Steele cooed at Laura, trying to calm the toddler. Peter was sitting in one of the chairs in the nurses’ room, trying to be as quiet as possible. He didn’t like the hospital, and more specifically – he didn’t like how many things he could smell and how he would still be able to smell some of the chemicals even days later. ‘Peter, you okay, sweetie?’ Mrs. Steele asked him and he looked at her, smiling at the old woman.

‘Yes, I’m just tired.’

‘Oh, I’m sure you are. Do you want to try to sleep for a while or no?’ Peter thought for a moment before he shook his head.

‘No, thank you. I would like to read something, please.’ The nurse smirked at him as she looked around for an appropriate book.

‘Of course you would. Do you want something to eat? A cookie maybe? I promise I won’t tell Talia.’

‘I would love a cookie. Thank you.’

About forty minutes later Peter heard a tiny scream pierce the silence of the hospital. He looked nervously at Mrs. Steele but she was just staring at whatever she was reading. Didn’t she hear it? Even though she was only a human she should have heard this unnaturally loud scream. He waited another minute or two, expecting to see people run up and down the long hall but everything remained the same. _Maybe I’m just imagining stuff_ , the young boy said to himself and turned his attention back to the book.

Another thirty or forty minutes had passed before Trevor rushed in the nurses’ room, huge smile plastered on his face. Seeing that Laura was soundly asleep, he turned towards Peter and kneeled in front of his chair.

‘Hey, buddy. You reading something interesting?’ Peter shook his head no, making sure Mrs. Steele didn’t see him.

‘Not really. My books are better. But it was nice of Mrs. Steele to find me something.’ He smiled when Trevor nodded approving. ‘Is Talia okay?’ He then asked, a little bit worried. He knew that his sister was strong but he also knew that giving birth could be dangerous, even for werewolves.

‘She is and so is the baby. Do you want to go see them?’ He asked and Peter nodded vigorously, jumping off the chair her was sitting in. Trevor took his hand, nodding at the smiling Mrs. Steele, and guided him through the long halls towards Talia’s room.

When the door opened and revealed his sister in lying in the hospital bed, looking completely exhausted but extremely happy at the same time, Peter felt his heart speed up. Talia looked at the door and smiled widely when she saw her husband and her little brother.

‘Hey, Petey,’ she said quietly and motioned for them to come in. ‘How are you doing, sweetheart?’

‘I know I’m still just a kid but I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to ask _you_ that.’ Peter said and walked closer to the bed. Talia laughed quietly and shook her head. ‘You are _fine_ , right?’

‘I’m wonderful, sweetie.’ She looked at the sleeping baby in her hands, a look of pure content on her face. ‘Do you want to hold him?’ She asked and Peter nodded. ‘Right, get on the bed and I’ll give him to you.’ With Trevor’s help Peter found himself right next to his sister. ‘Right, there you go.’ Talia whispered as she placed the tiny baby in Peter’s arms.

‘What’s his name?’

‘Derek. His name is Derek.’ Trevor answered as he sat on the edge of the bed, looking at his son lovingly.

‘Derek’ Peter repeated and at that exact moment the baby opened its eyes. Peter’s heart stopped beating for a moment. When he stared into those eyes it felt like the rest of the world had stopped existing – there was only Derek, and that was terrifying.

Because Peter knew perfectly well what that meant. And this couldn’t be _right_.

Derek started crying and Peter jumped slightly at the loudness of it. Laughing, Talia took her son from her brother’s arms.

‘Come on, buddy. We’ll go home and come back in a couple of hours.’ Trevor kissed his wife’s forehead before he helped Peter get off the bed.

‘Bye, Talia’ Peter whispered as he moved towards the door.

‘Bye, sweetie.’

Grabbing Trevor’s hand, Peter followed his brother in law, not saying a word. He was still shocked at what had happened a few minutes earlier.

Derek was his _mate_.

That tiny baby. That was just born a couple of hours ago, his _nephew_ was his _mate_.

This couldn’t be right.

He kept quiet on the ride back to their home, thinking about it over and over again. He just knew that Talia and Trevor wouldn’t accept this. Yes, Talia was his sister and she did more than enough with looking after him after their parents’ untimely death, and Peter knew that she cared for him like he was one of her own, but this – there were things that even the nicest person on earth wouldn’t be okay with. Peter just knew that this would be _it_ for his sister.

‘Hey buddy, we’re home.’ Trevor whispered and Peter realized that the car had stopped. Shaking his head, he smiled at his brother in law and reached for the car door. He knew what he had to do.

He was only nine, and he didn’t know much about the world, but he knew that he had to keep this to himself. He just _knew_.

*

_Peter was sixteen when he met Chris Argent._

They knew what the other was the moment their eyes met. Peter could very clearly smell the wolfsbane on the young hunter and Chris quickly noticed that Peter was just a little bit stronger, a little bit faster than everyone else. They knew that they were technically enemies and that they should even look at each other, but that didn’t stop them. It didn’t stop Chris from dragging the teen wolf under the bleachers; it didn’t stop Peter from dropping on his knees.

Both teens knew that this was only physical – it was just sex, for both of them. But it was a way of releasing some tension and it was _fun_.

When he came home after the first time, Talia just shook her head and told him to be careful with the Argents.

Peter only rolled his eyes at his sister but he took her words seriously. As the Alpha of the Hale pack she wasn’t only looking out for her brother; she was looking out for everyone. Peter knew that.

*

_Peter was twenty-five when he decided to face his family again._

Peter was back in Beacon Hills for the first time in seven years. He decided to visit his family for the winter holidays and Talia was extremely happy to finally have her brother back home. As soon as he walked through the door she screamed at the top of her lungs and ran to her baby brother, wrapping her arms around his neck.

‘I am so happy to finally see you again,’ she murmured quietly and Peter sighed as he wrapped his arms around his sister.

‘I’m happy to see you, too, Talia.’ Peter said as he buried his face in his sister’s neck, inhaling the familiar scent of family and pack and _Alpha_. He didn’t think he’ll feel like this again; he didn’t think he’ll feel like he’s _home_. When he left right after turning eighteen, he didn’t think he’ll ever come back to Beacon Hills, let alone this house. Being back felt… Surreal.

‘Uncle Peter?’ An excited voice floated through the house. The Hale siblings, still tightly embraced, jumped at that and turned towards the staircase – there, at the top, stood a young, dark-haired woman.

‘Oh my god… Laura? Is that really you?’ Peter couldn’t believe it. He could not believe that the young woman who was smiling at him so brightly was his niece. She looked nothing like the girl he saw a few years ago. She looked like her mother. She looked like the future Alpha.

‘Hi, Uncle Peter!’ Laura yelled as she flew down the stairs, throwing herself in her uncle’s arms. Laughing, Peter twirled the young woman around.

‘My god, look at you. You’re not a little girl anymore.’

‘I wasn’t a little girl when you left, uncle.’ Laura said with a stern voice.

‘Sure, just a really mature 11-year-old.’ Peter said and Talia laughed loudly.

‘Mom, I’m home.’ A young, energetic boy entered the room in a manner which demanded everyone’s attention. Had Peter not spend the last month mentally preparing himself for this moment he was sure would have squirmed.  Okay, maybe not squirm, but his body would have definitely betrayed him, and Peter couldn’t just allow that to happen in front of his sister. ‘Oh, I wasn’t aware we’d have any guests.’ The teen smiled charmingly and approached his mother. ‘Hi, I’m Der… Wait… Uncle Peter?’ Derek yelled when he finally recognized the older man. ‘Oh my god, it really is you!’ He screamed happily and pulled the other wolf in a tight hug.

‘Hey, Derek.’ Peter whispered and wrapped his arms around the teen’s body.

He felt his wolf cry at the touch. It wanted to howl at the moon. It wanted to claim. It wanted to belong. It had issues with the things Peter had already accepted a long time ago – that he would never get to have his mate, that he’ll never get to be truly happy.

Taking a deep breath, he looked over the teenager’s shoulder and met his sister’s gaze. He smiled sadly as he tried to memorize the soft look in her eyes.

He had already decided that the week he’ll spend with them will be the last time he’ll see them; the last time he’ll ever be in this house.

Life had different plans.

*

_Peter was twenty-eight when Sheriff Stilinski called him with the tragic news._

He had just come home from a long day at work when his phone started ringing. Thinking that his boss had decided to call him to nag about his ‘poor performance’ this past week, Peter had half the mind to just turn off the god damn thing. But something didn’t feel right so he decided to answer it.

‘Hello?’

_‘This is Sheriff Stilinski with the Beacon County Sheriff Station. Is this Peter Hale?’_

‘Yes, this is him. What’s going on?’ Peter asked, panic growing with each second.

_‘Mr. Hale, I… I don’t know how to say this…’_

‘What’s going on?’ Peter asked again, anger and worry clouding his vision.

 _‘Mr. Hale, there’s been an accident…’_ Peter felt his world turn. He heard the words ‘fire’, and ‘tragedy’ and ‘bodies’ and he almost drops the phone when he hears that some of the children are dead.

‘Did anyone make it ?’ He asked, fearful of the sheriff’s answer.

 _‘Laura and Derek were the only ones that weren’t in the house when the fire started. They are… Alive.’_ Peter released a deep breath; he was happy when he heard that Derek was alive, and he _hated_ himself for it because his sister was _dead_. Trevor, his brother in law, the man that had taught him everything he knew, was dead. Cora, the nine-year-old girl he met for the first time three years ago, was dead. His other nephews, five years old Michael and Stephen, were dead. God, his family was _dead_ … _‘Mr. Hale, are you still there?’_

‘Yes… yes…’ Peter said hoarsely into the phone. ‘Where are the kids right now?’

 _‘They are staying with me and my son for the time being. Let me give you the address…’_ Peter wanted to yell at the man on the other end of the line. He didn’t need to write down the address. The whole fucking town knew where the Sheriff lived. Instead, he just listened as the other man gave him directions. _‘What should I tell the kids? When will you be here?’_

‘Tomorrow evening. I’ll be there tomorrow evening.’

…

The first place Peter visited was not the Sheriff’s house. It was his home.

The whole house was gone; in its place only a pile of burnt wood and ash. The place reeked of _death_ and Peter’s wolf howled with pain. He doesn’t know how long he stayed there – an hour, maybe, - when a lightning flashed across the sky, pulling him out of his thoughts. With one last look at the pile of what used to be his home he walked towards the rental, and drove to the sheriff’s house. When he got there he lost no time going to the front door. It opened twenty seconds after he knocked on it. A young boy, no more than eleven years old, stared at him and Peter was just about to explain who he was when someone yelled from inside the house.

‘Uncle Peter!’ A deep voice startled them both, and before he knew what was happening he found himself in a bone-crushing hug. The boy, _no_ , the young man in his arms, was shaking, and Peter could fucking _smell_ the sadness radiating from him.

‘I know, Derek, I know’ he whispered and hugged back his nephew, tangling his left hand in the young wolf’s hair. The sadness his wolf felt radiating off its mate almost made him want to howl. Peeking over his nephew’s shoulder he looked at Laura, and was immediately struck with how much she looked like her mother back when their parents passed away. His heart clenched with pain.

…

He stayed in town for a week after the funeral.

‘I’m going back to Boston.’ He announced on a Sunday morning and saw his nephew freeze at his statement.

‘What? You’re just going to leave us?’ Laura yelled, incredulous over her uncle’s decision. She was furious, and Peter could very clearly understand her anger – he was their only relative alive and he was abandoning them. But he simply couldn’t stay there any longer. He couldn’t stay in this town, he couldn’t stay with them, and he couldn’t stay with _Derek_. It hurt too much.

‘I can’t just drop everything and be with you, Laura. Life doesn’t work like that.’ He turned to his nephew and the look of betrayal broke his heart for what felt like the millionth time that week. But he had to do this. They needed to start living again and the sooner they did the better. ‘It will take some time before the money from your parents is transferred to you. I’m almost one hundred percent sure there will be an investigation to make sure the fire was actually an accident.’

‘Like we would kill our whole family for money!’ Laura yelled furious.

‘I know that. But it’s their job. They have to do it. In the meantime, I have transferred one hundred thousand dollars into your account, Laura. It should be enough for now.’

‘And what do you want us to do? Run away like you?’ Derek asked, his voice full of bile. Peter closed his eyes and he sighed deeply before he turned to his nephew.

‘I’m not running away, Derek. I’m just trying to move on. You should too. Your parents wouldn’t want you to just exist; they would want you to live.’ With that he lifted his bag, turned his back on them and walked out the door. He knew he was hurting them. He knew that it was going to take them a long time to forgive him, if ever. He hoped that one day they will understand why he left.

*

_Peter was thirty-one when Derek asked him to go back to Beacon Hills._

Laura was gone. Car accident. So brutal that even a werewolf couldn’t survive after it. But Derek wasn’t sure that it was an accident, and neither was Peter. He had talked to his niece a couple of times through the years. He knew she never truly recovered from the fire; not that he expected her to. Neither did Derek, for that matter, but he was trying really hard to move on. And Peter took that as a small victory.

 A week after Laura’s funeral Derek called him to say that he was moving back to Beacon Hills. He said he needed it in order to heal. Peter didn’t understand, but he didn’t question his nephew either. If that’s what he thought he needed then that’s what he should do.

His nephew had been in their hometown for six months when he asked him to go back. And Peter’s immediate reaction was to say no, that he couldn’t do it. But he knew that he’d end up going back. Whatever Derek asked of him Peter would always do, and he wanted to hate his nephew for it, but he couldn’t. He could never hate Derek; that much he knew for sure.

So, on a Friday morning he informed his boss that he would be leaving the firm immediately. His boss was outraged and promised him that it will cost him, that there will be no compensations, but that didn’t bother Peter. He had money – he had barely spent what he got through the years. He would manage living without a job quite well. That night, when he got to his apartment, he packed a bag with the things he’d need the most and threw it in the back seat of his car without looking back, driving off back to his home. Back to his mate.

…

They had been living together for three months when he started looking through the apartment ads in the newspaper.

Living with Derek was… hard. He thought he’d be able to make it, but thinking about doing something and _actually_ _doing it_ are two completely different things. The fact they were the only two left from their family, from their _pack_ \- it made his wolf want its mate even harder, which is something Peter didn’t think possible. And being so close to Derek wasn’t helping - waking up every morning only to be greeted by a sleepy voice that asked him if he wanted a cup of coffee, watching documentaries together on the couch, or just listening to Derek murmur under his breath as he read another book on Ancient Greek history - it almost drove Peter insane. And so he thought that if he got some space between them then he’d calm down, that his wolf would calm down. It all went to Hell when one morning Derek saw the newspaper Peter had left on the counter.

‘Are you thinking about moving out?’ Derek asked with a broken voice and Peter was scared to look at him. The overbearing sadness that radiated off of his nephew almost choked Peter. ‘Of course you do, it’s not like you’ll want to live with me for the rest of your life.’ The younger man murmured and Peter almost ran towards him.

‘It’s nothing, Derek’ he tried to reassure him as he ripped the newspaper from his hands. ‘I was just browsing through the ads; I don’t ever know why I circled them.’ He put a shaking hand on his nephew shoulder and looked him in the eyes. ‘I’m not going anywhere, Derek. I promise.’ Derek sobbed quietly and buried his head in his uncle’s shoulder. It took everything in Peter to not break, to not just hold Derek close to him and tell him how he feels, how he’s felt for years, but he said nothing. He just patted Derek awkwardly on the shoulder for a few long moments before he stepped away from his nephew. ‘Are you going to be okay?’ He asked with a quiet voice and his lips stretched in an uncertain smile when Derek nodded. ‘Good. Now, I have some work to do, I’ll be in my room.’ He quickly left the room without turning around.

*

_Peter was thirty-three when he finally got to be with his mate._

Peter was in trouble.

Lately he’d been feeling a bit more feverish and he thought he was just under the weather – werewolves didn’t catch every virus that was out in the world but they still got sick from time to time. Had he not been distracted with compiling a contract between Scott’s pack and the group of hunters who were currently threatening to overtake Beacon Hills, Peter would’ve figured out that this was not a bug. He would’ve figured out what was happening with his body and he would’ve done anything in his (and Deaton’s powers) to stop it. But, as luck would have it, Peter figured out the situation a bit too late.

They were in a meeting with the hunter’s matriarch – Angelica Guerrera. Scott and Chris were the ones who talked with the hunters – they were the ones who had the tough job of convincing the hunters that the pack, however small it may be, was enough to protect this town and its citizens. Peter was sitting behind the young Alpha, with his nephew on his right. The meeting was held in a really nice, but small hotel room, which meant that for the past twenty minutes Peter’s right side had been pressed against his nephew’s left.

And then Derek moved his leg and their thighs rubbed against each other.

And Peter almost cursed out loud. He finally realized what was happening.

He was going into a fucking _heat_.

Swallowing loudly, he tried his best to move away from his nephew, to put some distance between them, but every millimeter he moved to the left Derek followed, always seeking contact between them. _Shit, shit, shit!_

Peter willed everything in him to not move a muscle. He tried to focus on what Scott was saying but pretty soon figured out that it was pointless; pretty soon he figured out that the best thing he could do is stare at the carpet and not think about anything. And he was certain that that would work, in fact he was just starting to breathe a bit easier when he felt Derek’s arm on his lower back.

His nephew had managed to sneak his left hand behind their backs without Peter noticing. Peter immediately froze at the touch. After few long moments Derek’s fingers started moving slowly and pretty soon they found the hem of Peter’s shirt. When he felt the tips of Derek’s fingers touch the bare skin of his back, Peter bit his tongue so hard in order to not moan out loud he felt blood fill up his mouth.

He looked at his nephew with the corner of his eyes but Derek wasn’t looking at him. He looked like he was completely focused on Scott and the meeting, and Peter was just about to think he was imagining stuff when Derek dug his nails into his warm skin.

Peter’s heart started beating really fast and that made Scott look at him, worry evident in his eyes. Trying to look as normal as he could, Peter let the corners of his mouth turn up a slightly before he nodded in reassurance to the young Alpha. Scott didn’t look convinced that he was fine but he once again turned his attention to the hunters in front of him. The second Scott looked away Derek’s fingers moved again and Peter started feeling warmer and warmer. He lost track of time – the only thing he could focus on was the fact that Derek, his nephew, _his mate_ was _touching him_.

The meeting lasted another fifteen minutes.

Derek never got his hand away from his uncle.

‘Peter, can I talk to you? Alone?’ Scott asked once the hunters left, accompanied by Argent. Derek frowned at the young Alpha before he looked at Peter. Peter nodded at his nephew and Derek left the tiny room.

‘You should be really proud, Scott. You managed to get a treaty with a very powerful clan of hunters. You really impressed Angelica.’ Peter said sincerely, trying to calm his heart, to not let the _want_ and _need_ for Derek cloud his mind. Scott smiled gratefully at him.

‘I am glad. I don’t want to see anyone here getting hurt.’ The young Alpha replied. ‘But that’s not why I wanted to speak with you.’

‘Oh?’

‘I wanted to talk to you about Derek.’ Peter froze as he stared at the boy in front of him. His heart started beating fast once again, but this time it was pure panic. ‘No, don’t worry, please.’ Scott rushed out, looking worried that he might have offended Peter somehow. ‘I… It took me a while to understand what was happening and it wasn’t really easy. You are very good with hiding your feelings… I imagine it’s because of the years of doing it.’ Peter didn’t say anything; he was scared of what the next words of his Alpha would be. ‘I don’t know if you care about what I think… I just wanted you to know that I’m fine with it.’

‘You are?’ Peter couldn’t hide his astonishment at this statement.

‘Yeah, Peter. I mean, don’t get me wrong – it was really weird when I finally realized that you were mates because… Well, he’s your nephew. But then I talked to Deaton and…’

‘Does Deaton know?’ Peter in a squeaky voice.

‘No, no – I didn’t ask about you, specifically. I just wanted to know if this thing – if one’s mate can _be_ a family member – was an actual thing. He said that it was extremely rare but there was nothing wrong about it.’ Scott rushed out the words and Peter could see that he was very nervous. ‘Does Derek know?’ Scott asked quietly.

‘I… I’m not sure. Up until today I would’ve said no. But earlier he…’ Peter didn’t finish his sentence – he just shook his head and pulled one of the chairs. Scott did the same and took a seat next to the older werewolf.

‘Peter, why are you so scared of this thing between the two of you? If it’s because of what people would say, about what _the pack_ would say, then you don’t need to worry about that – I’m sure that after some time and explanation everyone will be okay with you two.’ Peter wasn’t so sure about that – not every member of the pack was as understanding or as kind as the Alpha.

‘It’s not only that.’ Peter whispered after a minute or two of silence. ‘I’ve known Derek was my mate since the moment he was born.’ Peter’s eyes looked through the window, remembering that night. ‘It was the middle of the night, and me and Laura had been waiting for hours when I heard it – this really loud first scream, deafening every other noise in the hospital. I couldn’t understand why it was so clear, not until Talia placed him in my arms.’

‘What did you feel?’ Scott whispered, as if scared not to anger Peter.

‘When he opened his eyes and looked into mine – it was like the world disappeared and there was only _him_. Which, in retrospect, is a weird thing to feel about a newborn baby.’ Peter tried joking and Scott chuckled quietly. ‘Scott, my world revolves around _him_. He’s the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning; he’s the last on my mind before I fall asleep. When there is a fight between the pack and someone else, the only thing I can think about, is how I have to do everything I can so he doesn’t get hurt. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to him…’

‘But you still left Beacon Hills all those years ago?’ Scott asked and Peter sighed.

‘I thought it will be easier if I was away from him… I knew that it would hurt, but it would have hurt even more seeing him fall in love with someone else…’ Peter explained quietly and Scott squeezed his right shoulder. Peter sighed as he felt his Alpha’s support.

‘I’m sorry that this has happened to you, Peter. I’m sorry that the thing that should have brought you so much happiness ended up the thing that hurt you the most. But don’t you think it’s time things changed?’ Peter opened his mouth to say something but Scott squeezed his shoulder a bit harder, stopping him. ‘Listen, Peter, I understand why you thought that you moving away would make things better for Derek. You wanted him to be happy and you didn’t think that he’ll be happy with you; you didn’t want to somehow ruin his chances with someone else. I respect that and I admire you for your strength.’ Peter smiled gratefully at the young wolf, appreciating the support of his Alpha. ‘But I think that you should talk to him about this…’

‘I don’t know, Scott… What if this whole thing weirds him out? What if he doesn’t want to see me anymore? This may be painful, Scott, but never seeing him again? That might actually kill me.’

‘And what makes you think you have the right to decide for me?’ Derek’s voice echoed through the room, making the older Hale jump from his chair. Standing up he looked between Scott and Derek, realizing that they had set him up.

‘Talk, Peter. Just talk.’ The young Alpha said quietly and with a nod towards Derek he left the hotel room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Peter just stood stunned. This was actually happening. He was actually going to talk about this with Derek.

He didn’t know what to say.

‘Years, Peter. I have waited years for you to say something, to _do_ something. And you never did. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?’ Derek said quietly and Peter could hear the pain in his voice. He felt his body sway towards his nephew, wanting to comfort him, to make him feel better. ‘I thought you hated me. I thought you couldn’t stand the fact that _I_ was your mate, your own _nephew_ … You left, and didn’t come back for years, and when you did you barely looked at me… You came back after the fire but stayed only a week and then you were gone once more…’ Peter felt his heart ache. He never wanted to hurt Derek, he couldn’t stand the fact that he had caused him so much pain. ‘When I asked you to move back with me I didn’t think you’d do it. In fact, I was determined to just stop trying to get you back should you refuse. But you came back. You quit your job, and came back, and you actually moved in _with me_ … And I thought… I thought that there was still a chance. But then I saw the newspaper and it just… all started falling apart again…’ Peter couldn’t stand still anymore. With tears falling down his cheeks, he quickly crossed the room, stopping right in from of his nephew.

‘I’m sorry, Derek’ he whispered as he cupped the younger man’s cheek. ‘I’m so sorry I’ve caused you so much pain – this was never my intention.’

‘Then why did you do it?’ Derek whispered and Peter had to swallow around the lump in his throat.

‘Because I loved you. And I know that that’s not an excuse,’ he added quickly when Derek frowned, ‘but you need to understand this – I was only a kid when I found out, but even back then I knew that Talia would never forgive me if she ever found out. With every passing day I just convinced myself more and more that she would have never accepted this, and I didn’t want to lose her as well.’ Peter swiped a tear away from Derek’s left cheek with his thumb and he could feel the younger man tremble at the touch. ‘Please, Derek, you have to believe me – I thought I was the doing the best possible thing for you.’

‘By keeping my mate away from me?’

‘By giving you a chance to find someone better! Someone who isn’t related to you… Someone the world won’t judge you for loving…’ Peter yelled and tried to move back but Derek put his hands on his uncle’s shoulders, keeping him close.

‘I never cared about what the world thinks, Peter. I’m not going to start now.’ He whispered and crushed Peter’s lips with his own. The only thing Peter could do was moan quietly into the kiss, before sneaking his hands around Derek’s waist. After a moment or two Derek pulled away and rested his forehead against Peter’s. ‘Stop running away from me, Peter.’ He whispered and he cupped his cheeks. ‘Stop hurting us both.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Peter said quietly and kissed the corner of Derek’s mouth. ‘I’m so sorry, Derek.’

‘Shh, shh, I know.’ Derek wiped off the tears from Peter’s cheeks with his thumbs. ‘But no more, yeah?’           

‘No more. No more.’ Peter nodded and pulled his nephew closer for another kiss, hardly believing that this was actually happening.

As Derek deepened the kiss, Peter felt the younger man’s strong hands roam over his back, moving down slowly, and lifted him up. Derek carried Peter across, buckling slightly when the back of his knees hit the bed, which resulted in them tumbling down.

‘Fucking hell…’ Derek murmured and Peter bursted out laughing when he found himself on top of Derek. His laughter died out after a couple of seconds but a soft, content smile was still present on his face as he looked at his nephew.

‘I love you’ he said quietly, leaning down for another kiss. After a minute or two he sat up and pulled off his shirt. Derek’s eyes flashed golden for a moment when he saw his uncle’s exposed chest. He quickly sat up as well, pulling Peter closer, digging his teeth in his neck. ‘Oh, god’ Peter cried out and he felt his claws pop out. Derek continued biting at Peter’s neck but his hands roamed all over his uncle’s body. After a while he decided that he’d had enough of this and flipped them over, smiling when Peter yelped at the sudden change.

‘I love you’ Derek whispered before he kissed Peter's jaw. He said it again and again as his lips travelled down his uncle’s body and that was those were the last words Peter could remember clearly.

*

_Peter was thirty-six when he was finally happy._

_He had lived thirty five long years before se would finally feel whole._

_‘Yes,’ Peter mumbled to himself as he watched Derek and Scott play with the twin cubs they had adopted almost a year ago. Malia and Todd Hale had the whole pack wrapped around their fingers and the toddlers were perfectly aware of it. He caught Derek look at him with a happy smile and he couldn’t help but smile back. ‘I am finally whole.’_

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)


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